Banking & Markets: Australia’s banks and the ASX took a hit as rate fears and global risk sentiment weighed on lenders, with ANZ, NAB and Westpac all sliding and the ASX 200 down on miners and banks dragging. Household Finance: New KPMG research says life satisfaction has fallen across age groups, especially among people hit hardest by cost-of-living pressure, with emergency savings and stalled wealth adding to stress. Energy Bills & Renewables: A new analysis argues rooftop solar is booming for households but lagging for commercial and industrial sites, while another report says renewables and batteries are “decoupling” eastern Australia’s power prices from global shocks, helping shield bills. Health Costs: The federal government has launched a parliamentary inquiry into specialist doctor fees, aiming at availability, cost and equity of access—prompting pushback from parts of the medical sector. Digital & Policy: Australia’s proposed “news levy” is being challenged by Meta, while EU trade bodies (including Australia’s) warn EU cloud/AI rules could exclude non-EU tech suppliers. Scams & Crypto: A US-led crackdown across Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar took down 1m+ scam accounts and froze millions in crypto, with arrests tied to forced scam operations. Data Centres & Infrastructure: AirTrunk/Blackstone-backed plans for major data-centre expansion keep spotlight on Australia’s AI infrastructure build-out.